Estimated reading time: 10 minutes.
1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
“The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, ...” ～ The final word on the introduction to the seven churches concerns the “mystery.” The Grk word mystērion “denotes the mystic or hidden sense” (Thayer). Here, it is more mystic than hidden, because the mystery is being unveiled to those with understanding. Here, at v20, is one of several places in the Revelation where the symbols are interpreted, making the cryptic not so esoteric. (Other places where such decoding devices are presented are 7:14; 17:1, 5, 12, 15, 18; 21:9-10.)
“The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” ～ Concerning the “seven stars” a few things must be said. First, they are the fourth set of seven, of which there are twenty-one (See Vital Data, Concerning the Features and Literary Form). As previously stated, 21 is the multiple of 7 x 3; 3 is the biblical number of confirmation; therefore, the number 21 confirms 7 as the pivotal number of the Apocalypse. The number 7 demonstrates completeness and speaks to the scope of the book.
Secondly, the “stars” are said to be angels (see comments on v1). In that an angel is a messenger, or envoy of God, other beings apart from the created Angels are said to be angels. One could consider Malachi 2:7 where the priest is viewed as the LORD’s angel (messenger):“For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger (angel) of the LORD of hosts.” (Mal 2:7; NKJV) So, also, here. The angels (messengers) of the seven churches are, indeed, the presbyters of the churches.
Some suggest that created angelic beings are intended, because stars are such beings in two other places in the book (9:1-11 and 12:4, 7). And, further, it is assumed by some that because nations have angels assigned to them (Dan 10:13), churches must have the same. What seems to be overlooked in this view is that (in both reasons given) it is “fallen” angels that are in view. One must acknowledge that a parallel is trying to be forced out of separate and distinct categories; i.e. fallen and un-fallen angels. Also, it seems out of place to assign to the Messiah’s kingdom the type of government implemented by Lucifer over the fallen Earth. No. A much more harmonious position is that the Angels are the pastors of each individual congregation. This is especially true when one takes into account that the letter is addressed to the angels with such statements as: “I know your works, ... labor, ... patience, ... and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. ... Nevertheless I have this against you,...” “I know your ..., tribulation, and poverty”; “I know your ..., love, service, faith, and your patience;” “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain,” etc. (NKJV). Although there are statements, as is found in 2:10 “the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested,” (NKJV); (in the KJV both single and plural pronouns are used in this verse, e.g. “behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried;”) However, it is acknowledged that the whole congregation is addressed through its elder. It is proper that the commendation and rebuke for each church should be addressed to its shepherd, for the shepherds must give an account for the sheep. The writer of Hebrews instructs the churches to, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, …” (Heb 13:17). Ezekiel is told, “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: (Ezek 3:17 NKJV). The blood of the unwarned guilty, and punished, is required of the watchman’s hand, “When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” (Ezek 3:18)
There are a couple of important things to notice here: First, the Lord God speaks to the “watchmen” i.e. the presbyters; and they, in turn, convey the message to the people. Thus, the Revelation is addressed to the angels/messengers/watchmen, but sent to the churches (see v11). The Lord God said to the watchman (Ezekiel) “... therefore hear the word at My mouth, and give them warning from Me;”(Ezek 3:17 NKJV). Likewise, seven times, as John took dictation, the Lord God said, “unto the angel (messenger-watchman) of the church of ____________ write.” Therefore, the Church must put a premium on the preaching and teaching of its presbyters.
The second important point is the responsibility of the shepherd toward the flock. The pastors of the Old Testament are told, in no uncertain terms, that if they failed to warn the people it would not deter God’s judgment, but the blood of the unwarned guilty would be required of the shepherd (Ezek 3:18).
The third point to be made, concerning the “seven stars,” is a mystery which may lie a bit deeper within the veil, but one which should be explored at this point. As has already been stated, the “seven stars” in the right hand of Jesus, no doubt, was a stab at the state (Rome), since Caesar Nero had minted a coin, which was in circulation at the time, with the image of himself holding seven stars in his right hand (see comments on verse 16). But that is on a somewhat earthly level. Here we go beyond resistance literature to prophetic metaphor. The seven stars are seen as referencing the Messianic passages found in Job 9:9; 38:31 and Amos 5:8. In these passages the prophets Job and Amos are inspired by Yahweh to consider the constellations. There are four mentioned: Pleiades, Orion, Arcturus, and Mazzaroth: (since Mazzaroth is plural, the twelve stars of the Zodiac are most likely implied). The seers had not forgotten that Yahweh had said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven ... and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:” (Gen 1:14). When considering the seven stars of the Revelation and seeking the Spirit’s intent, the Law of First Mention should not be overlooked. This important law of Scriptural interpretation states that when considering a difficult subject, one should review the first mention of the subject in the Scripture, and take a bearing from that first mention as to a possible meaning. The first mention of seven stars is found in the writing of Job (Job 38:31; also see Amos 5:8). Here, God asks of Job, “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, ...” (Hebrew: the seven stars). Now the Spirit has, indeed, said that the lights were placed in the heavens for signs. One might ask how the ancients knew that the constellation of Pleiades had seven stars, since only five are visible to the naked eye. The answer, of course, is divine inspiration and revelation. Another question that should be asked is: Why? Why would the Holy Spirit reveal to Job, and Amos, the existence of the seven stars of Pleiades? Again, the answer is equally as clear: For a sign. The story told, or message taught, by this sign of the seven stars, proclaims in, stellar clarity, the relationship between Christ and the ministers of His church.
Now, it must be pointed out that the Gospel has been recorded in the stars by enlightened seers who received the revelation, and chose various star constellations to represent the revelations given to them. Through this manner, the twelve original signs of the Zodiac came to be. In fact, the Strong’s Exhausted Concordance of the Bible defines Mazzaroth (Job 38:32) as “The Twelve Signs of the Zodiac.”
Having established the divine appointment for recognizing constellations, and having further established the divinely introduced seven stars of Pleiades, it seems proper to seek the truth the ancients chose to represent. We have the words of Jesus as to the meaning of the “seven stars.” The “seven stars,” Jesus said, are the angels (presbyters) of the Seven Churches. (Accepting, that the seven stars of the Old Testament have a prophetic resemblance to the seven stars of the New Testament, we proceed along this line of interpretation.) The seven stars of Pleiades are supported on the shoulders of Taurus the bull. Taurus is the Zodiac sign for Jesus as the sacrifice. By the seven stars being located on the shoulders of Taurus, the sign shows the bull (i.e. the sacrifice) to be the support for the seven stars. Now, in that Jesus has defined for us the meaning of the seven stars as being the messengers to the seven churches, and, further, in that the number seven is understood everywhere to represent completeness, or the whole, then we see that Christ, our sacrifice (1 Cor 5:7) is the support (succorer) for the total represented priesthood of His kingdom (i.e. His church).
But wait, there’s more. The seven stars on the shoulders of Taurus are associated, and identified, as one with the bull. In like manner the seven stars of the Revelation, which represent the total New Testament ministry, are associated with, and identified as, one with Christ—our sacrifice. That is to say, the New Testament ministry of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (Eph 4:11) are one with the sacrifice, and must be prepared to be offered on Heaven’s altar, in exchange for the life of His church. Paul understood this covenant of suffering, for he wrote,
“I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church.” (Col 1:24, NKJV)
More will be discussed on this topic of a covenant of suffering when we look at 6:9.
“The seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” ～ Much has already been said concerning the seven pronged lampstand (candlesticks) representing the seven churches, so it only remains for us to affirm that fact, and prepare ourselves to move into the body of John’s letter to the Seven Churches.
The seven congregations addressed in chapters 2 and 3 were actual churches at the time of John’s revelation. There have been various ways of interpreting these seven addresses. Many see the Seven Churches as being representative of seven different characteristics found in congregations from John’s day, down to the present time. Others see the churches as a preview of church history, running downhill from the lively and mission minded Ephesus age, toward the lukewarm and sluggish Laodicean age. There is a third view that will be pursued in this treatise, which takes into consideration both of the above. In our view the seven churches are indeed representative. This is seen in a number of particulars: First, is the number seven, which is the representative number for completeness; second, is the choice of these specific congregations above others in the area of more fame and importance; third, is their order in the list, which begins with Ephesus at about 7 o’clock, and continuing in a clockwise direction to the final church, Laodicea, at about 5 o’clock. If a sundial is envisioned, the shadow would indicate Ephesus at sunrise, and will visit each church in turn, until it passes over Laodicea at about sundown. For these various reasons it is safe to assume the seven churches are representatives, that do, most likely, show a progression in time. However, as the characteristic of a particular church appears in time, it does not seem to ever leave the stage, but continues on to the end. In this view the Ephesian church will not disappear upon the arrival of Smyrna, but can be seen in history as existing along-side. The same would be true with Smyrna upon the arrival of the age represented by the church of Thyatira; and so forth and so on until the end, when, indeed, all seven characteristics will be found existing collaterally.
From 2:1 through 3:22 are given the first of seven primary visions that are presented as tiers of the mystery of God (see 10:7). (There is an eighth vision which concerns eternity future [21:1-22:5], not included in the seven tiered visions relating to the mystery of God.) These layers of prophecy are laid out as follows: 1. 2:1-3:22; 2. 5:1-11:18; 3. 11:19-14:20; 4. 15:1-16:22; 5. 17:1-19:10; 6. 19:11-21; 7. 20:1-15. (See the chart PRIMARY VISIONS OF REVELATION, page 27.) The tier of the seven churches spans the entire spectrum of church history, from the apostolic age represented by the church of Ephesus, to the very close of the mystery of God represented by the church of Laodicea. As stated, this is the first of seven tiers, and is, itself, divided into seven stages, or ages. In a very real sense the Seven Churches’ tier is the foundation of all else, which will be overlays to chapters 2:1 through 3:22.
The Lord addresses all seven churches according to the same form:
- greetings;
- a description of the glorified Christ;
- praise and/or blame for the church addressed;
- warning and/or admonishment;
- final exhortation; and
- a promise to the overcomers.
One sees a particular in both the openings and closings of each letter to the churches. Seven times the term “these things” (Grk: tade) is said by Christ in the beginning of each address and seven times Christ says, “He that hath an ear ... etc.” The latter illustrates that though the letters are addressed to the congregations, through their angels, it ultimately comes down to individual decisions.
Having set forth my modest thoughts concerning John’s inspired introduction, let us receive his correspondence with gratitude and a fearful spirit, for indeed it has been written and addressed to those of us who, as we read, will find ourselves within these presents.
Apostolically Speaking,
☩ Jerry L Hayes
After spending over forty years in the dispensational doctrine, and having raise my children in that theological framework, I became a convinced adherent to a "kingdom" theology that recognizes the Church as the Israel of God, and that the first century actually saw the fulfillment of most of Matthew chapter 24. "Letters to My Children on Apostolic Kingdom Theology" is a compilation of twenty four letters written to my children explaining my journey. These "Letters" provide a systematic approach to Apostolic Eschatological study of Scripture. It is sure to interest all students of Scriptures
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The Apocalypse, is the introduction to the biblical book of Revelation. Here Bishop Hayes also gives a verse by verse commentary of the first three chapters of the Apostle John's Revelation of Jesus Christ, covering the letters addressed to the seven churches of Asia Minor. The Bible student will thrill at the Bishop's easy evangelistic style of presenting deep and unique truths never before published. In this study a wealth of information will be shared with the disciples of Christ on each verse of this great manuscript.
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